Fifth-wheel for vehicles.



HQ E. RIPHAN.

FIFTH WHEEL FOB, VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED. 001.21, 1912.

Attorneys UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

HENRY E. RIPI-IAN, OFFENNIMORE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOCHRIS- TOPHER-J. DAGENHART, OF BLUE MOUNDS, WISCONSIN.

FIFTH-WHEEL FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1, 1913.

Application filed October 21, 191,2.A Serial No. 727,038.

To all whom t may concern:

Be itv known that I, HENRY E. BIPT-IAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fennimore, in the county of Grant and State of Visconsin,have invented a new and useful Fifth-Wheel for Vehicles, of which thefollowing is a specification.`

The present invention appertains to fifth wheels for vehicles,` and aimsto provide novel means for pivoting the front or steeringA axle totheheadv block or bolster in such a manner that the king bolt need not bepassed through the axle or the head block, and is located at one sidethereof.

The present invention also contemplates the provision of such a fifthwheel which shall be comparatively simple, substantial, durable, compactand` inexpensive in construction, as well as etlicient and convenient inits use.

To the above and other ends, the invention resides in the combinationand arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in vthe preoiseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a front elevation of thetif-th i thereof; Fig. 3 is a perspective View of thefth wheel, partsbeing broken away.

Referring specifically to the drawing, the axle has been designated bythe numeral 5, which comprises a lower axle tree and a superimposedsand-board; the head block or bolster by the numeral 6; the reach by thenumeral 7 and the hounds by the numeral 8, said parts being common inlumber wagons and other vehicles.

To all intents the sand-board and axle tree jointly provide the axle,and may be so considered in the present case, although in reality theyprobably could not be so considered.

In carrying out the present invention, a segmental plate 9 is secured tothe to-p of the axle 5 or on the sand-board and projects forwardlytherefrom. This segmental plate is provided with a pair of oppositelyproject-ing straps 10 lying upon the sand-board and with a pair of ears11 rear face of the sand-board, a U-shaped clip 12 projecting from therear edge of the segmental plate intermediate the ears 11 and havingears 13 projecting from its lower or free arm abutting against the rearface of the sand-board adjacent its lower edge of the section. Bolts 141are passed through the ears13 and the sand-board to secure the free armof the clip to the same, and similar bolts 15 are passed through theears l1 of the segmental plate and the sand-board, while bolts 16 arepassed through the free ends of the straps 10 and the sand-board toassist the bolts 15 in securing the segmental plate to the sand-board.The bolts 16 are preferably passed through the hounds 8, in order tothus connect the segmental plate and the hounds and also secure thehounds between the sand-board and axle tree. The lower arm of the clip12 is provided with an aperture or opening 17 and the upper arm thereofis provided with an opening or aperture 18 having its edges struckupwardly to form a boss 19.

A plate 20 is secured to the bottom of the bolster and complements thesegmental plate 9, the said plate 29 having a pair of ears 21 at itsrear edge overlapping the rear face of the bolster and having a U-shapedclip overlapping the 22 projecting rearwardly therefrom intermediate theears 21. The clip 22 has a pair of depending ears 23 atits upper or freeend abutting against the rear face of the bols-te-r.- Bolts 24 arepassed through the ears 21 and the bolster, and similar bolts 25 arepassed through the ears 23 to secure the free arm of the clip 22 to thebolster, while bolts or rivets 26 are passed vertically through thebolster and are engaged to the plate 2O to assist in securing the plateto the bolster in connection with the bolts 24- passed through the ears21. The lower and upper arms of the clip 22 are provided with theapertures 27 and 28, respectively, which are in alinement with theapertures of the clip 12, the boss 19 of the upper arm of t-he clip 12being journaled within. the aperture 27 of the lower arm of the clip 22so as to pivot the two plates together. The upper plate 20 also has ahook 29 secured to the top thereof and at its forward edge, the saidhook engaging the forward curved edge of the segmental plate 10 toretain the two plates in sliding Contact.

A U-shaped clip 30 is also secured to the n rear face of the axletree,the said clip having the ears 3l at its ends abutting against theaxletree and being secured thereto by the bolts 32, the arms of the clip30 being provided with the apertures 33 alining with the apertures ofthe aforementioned clips.

All the clips are of similar construction, their intermediate portionsbeing comparatively narrow and their arms being relatively wide, orapproximately triangular in form with their bases arranged adjacent therespective axle sections and bolster. The plates and clips may also beconveniently stamped or otherwise fashioned from sheet metal or othersuitable material.

A king bolt 3ft is pass-ed through the aperture of the several clips inorder to fulcrum the axle to the bolster, the king bolt being positionedin rear or to one side of the said parts, thereby eliminating thenecessity of boring holes through the axle and bolster for the receptionof the king bolt, as usual. The sand-board and axletree are alsopreferably spaced apart to receive the reach 7 therebetween and thereach is engaged to the king bolt. The boss 19 extends around the king`bolt and enters the aperture in the lower arm of the bolsterl clip so asto retain the axle and bolster in pivotal relation, even though the kingbolt is removed, and the said boss also prevents the wear of the kingbolt between the axle and bolster clips.

The iifth wheel thus provided is an exceedingly serviceable one, andcarries out the objects aimed at in a satisfactory manner, theadvantages of the present device being apparent to those versed in theart.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. -A fifth wheel for vehicles embodying an axle, a bolster,complementing segmental plates `secured to the axle and bolster andprojecting to one side thereof, the plates having U-shaped clipsprojecting to the other side with their free ends secured respectivelyto the axle and bolster, and a king bolt passing through the arms of theclips. 2. A iifth wheel for vehicles embodying an axle, a bolster,complementing segmental plates secured to the axle and bolster andprojecting t-o one side, the plates having U- shaped clips projecting tothe other side, with their free end secured respectively to the axle andbolster, va king bolt passing through the arms of the clips, a membercarried by one segmental plate and slidably engaging the curved edge ofthe other, and one of the clips having a boss fitting around the kingbolt and entering the arm of the other clip.

3. A fth wheel for vehicles embodying a sand-board, an axle tree, abolster, a reach fitting between the former parts, complementingsegmental plates secured to the sand board and bolster and projectingone side, the plates having U-shaped clips projecting to the other sidewith their free ends secured respectively to the sand-board andbolster', a U-shaped clip terminally secured to the axle-tree, and aking bolt passing through the arms of all of the clips and through thereach.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' HENRY E. RIPHAN. lVitnesses:

Jol-IN J. SOANLAN, BRIDGET SOANLAN.

Copies of this patent may he nbtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. l

